Hydrant.



No. 868,794. LPATENTEDYOGT. 22, 1907. F. G. MIDGETT, DECD.4 L. B.MIDGETT, ADMINISTRATEIX.

- HYDRA N T. APPLIUA FILED KAY 14. 1906.

I l V A TTOR/VE V5 1H: Norms PETER: co., wAsmNcrcN, n. c.

TTNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN G. MllGElT, OF DALLAS, TEXAS; LlLLlE S. MIDGETT ADMINlSTRATRlXOF SAID FRANKLIN G. MlDGETT, DECEASED.

HYDRANT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1907.

Application tiled May 14,1906. Serial No. 316,748.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN G. MiDGETr, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, haveinvented a new and useful Hydrant, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to fire plugs or hydrants and its object is toprovide a device of this character to which hose may be connected beforean engine has been coupled thereto so that water under .normal pressurecan be directed from the hydrant into the hose before and during thecoupling of the engine.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character havingmechanism whereby the water may be directed :from the engine and intothe previously connected hose without the necessity oi stopping the flowof water at any time, said flow being instantaneously changed fromnormal pressure to pump pressure.

.Another object is to provide a novel form of valve through which thepressure inlet and pressure outlet normally communicate, said valve whenin such position preventing the normal flow of water from the supplythrough either the pressure inlet or pressure outlet, but said valvebeing adapted when shifted to maintain the pressure inlet closed but toplace the pressure outlet in communication with the interior of the plugto receive water under normal pressure.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction and combinations of parts which will behereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of theinvention.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical section through vthe device;Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof; and Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectionthrough the dome thereof.

Referring to the iigures by characters of reference, 1 is a stand pipehaving a dome 2 thereon, said dome and stand pipe constituting a casing.

An outlet opening 3 is preferably disposed within the stand pipe and isnormally closed by a screw valve 4 the head 5 of which extends from theopposite portion ol the stand pipe and is adapted to be rotated by asuitable tool provided i'or that purpose. The outlet opening 3 isnormally covered by a removable cap (3 and has a threaded boss 7 towhich the suction tube ofan engine may be attached.

A plurality of pressure outlet openings is iormed in the dome 2 and eachof these openings is normally closed by a removable cap 9, the threadedboss 1() of which surrounds each opening and, when the Cap is disengagedtherefrom, each boss may be connected to the fire hose in any desiredmanner. Pressure inlet openings 11 are formed in the dome at pointsopposite the openings 8 and each is likewise surrounded by a threadedboss 12 adapted to be engaged by a removable cap 13 or by the outlet ordischarge hose of a lire engine.

A spindle 14 extends transversely through the center of the dome andbetween the inlet 11 and the outlets 8 and this stem is rotatablymounted and has a head 15 at one end adapted to be engaged by a toolwhereby the stem can be easily manipulated.

Connected to the stem and movable therewith is a valve 1G of novel formhaving passages 17 therein which are adapted to normally register at oneend with the inlet openings 11 and their other ends will normallyregister with the outlet openings 8. One end of the valve 16 is beveledas at 18 so as to bear against an inclined face 19 lormed within thedome at the inner ends of the openings S, saidface constituting a stopfor the valve and when the valve and face are in contact a tight jointis produced through which leakage can not occur to any appreciableextent. The other end of the valve is curved concentric with the centerof the stem 14 as shown at 20 and bears snugly against but is adapted toslide upon a correspondingly curved face 21 located at the inner end ofthe inlet openings 11. An extension 22 projects from this curved end ofthe valve and is correspondingly curved so that when the valve is swungupward the extension 22 will serve to close the inlet openings 11.

A rod 23 is mounted within the top of the dome and is suspendedtherefrom said rod having a socket'24 in its lower end constituting awrench adapted to be placed in engagement with a valve stem, not shown7for the purpose of cutting off the supply of water to the plug. This rodhas a head 25 at its upper end whereby it may be rotated by means of asuitable tool. The rod 23 preferably extends through the valve 16 butwill not interfere with the actuation of said valve.

lt will be understood that the valve 1G is normally in position betweenthe openings 8 and 1l so that water can not escape trom the interior ofthe hydrant or plug to said openings although the openings communicatethrough the passage 17. 1n the event of a fire the caps 9 are removedand ire hose connected to the bosses 10. The valve 1G is then rotated bymeans of stem 14 of head 15 and the openings 8 will therefore be free toreceive water from the interior oi the plug although opening 11 will bemaintained closed by the extension 22. The water will thus be dischargedunder normal pressure into the hose and can be used until the lireengine has arrived and been properly coupled to the plug. The engine iscoupled thereto by connecting its suction tube to the boss 7 and thensecuring its outlet hose to the boss 12 adjacent opening 11. The valve 4is then opened by rotating the threaded stem thereon and valve 16 isswung back to its normal position so that the passages 17 will registerwith the inlet openings ll and the outlets 8. Water will thus be suckedinto the engine from the outlet 3 and forced under pressure into either'inlet opening ll and thence through the passage 17 to the outlets 8. Itdoes not become necessary to delay the connection of the hose until theengine is in condition to pump and therefore considerable saving of timeresults. The stand pipe l and the dome 2 are ordinarily lilled withWater but in freezing Weather Water can be turned ofi from the plug bymeans of the socketed rod 23 and can be drained in any suitable manneras by opening the valve 4.

Importance is attached to the tact that the valve 16 when in its normalposition prevents the escape oi Water through either the pressure inletsor the pressure outlets, but when in this normal position permits Waterremoved through the suction outlet 3 to be forced through any one of thepressure inlets and through the valve to one of the pressure outlets. Iiit is desired to permit the escape of Water under normal pressure fromthe stand pipe l to one of the outlets S it is necessary to turn thevalve out oi its normal position but when so turned it continues toclose the pressure inlets but allows the water contained Within the dometo flow under normal pressure through the outlets.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a cas ing having aWater inlet, a suction outlet, means for closing said outlet, a pressureinlet and a pressure outlet, a valve within the casing and normallypreventing the escape of water from the casing and into the pressureinlet and outlet. said valve having a passage normally connect ing thepressure inlet and outlet, and means for turning the valve to permit theflow of water under normal pressure from the interior of the casing tothe pressure outlet, said valve being disposed to constantly close thepressure inlet against the escape of water therethrough from theinterior of the casing.

2. A device of the character described comprising a casing having awater inlet, a normally closed suction outlet, said casing having apressure inlet and a pressure outlet oppositely disposed, a valve withinthe casing and normally in position to prevent the escape of water fromthe interior of the casing through the pressure outlet and pressureinlet, said valve having a passage therethrough through which thepressure inlet and outlet normally communicate, means for moving thevalve to permit the escape 0I" Water from the casing through thepressure outlet, and means upon said valve for closing the pressureinlet while the pressure outlet is open to receive water from theinterior of the casing.

3. A device of the character described comprisingr a cas ing having awater inlet and a suction outlet, a valve for closing said outlet, saideasing also having oppositely disposed pressure inlets and a pressureoutlet, a valve Within the casing and normally closing the pressureinlets and outlets to prevent the escape of Water therethrough from thecasing, said valve having passages therein through which the pressureinlets normally communicate with the pressure outlets, means for movingthe valve to open the pressure outlets to receive water directly fromthe interior of the casing, and means movable with the valve formaintaining` the pressure inlets closed while the pressure outlets areopen.

4. A device of the character described comprising a casing having awater inlet, a normally closed suction outlet, said casing having apressure inlet and a pressure outlet oppositely disposed, a valve withinthe casing and normally in position to prevent the escape of water fromthe interior of the casing through the pressure outlet and pressureinlet, said valve having a passage therethrough through which thepressure inlet and outlet normally communicate, means for moving thevalve to permit the escape of water from the casing through the pressureoutlet, means upon said valve for closing the pressure inlet while thepressure outlet is open to receive water from the interior of thecasing, and means for limiting the movement of the valve in onedirection when the passage therein registers with the pressure inlet andoutlet.

5. A device of the character described comprising a stand pipe having asuction outlet, a valve normally closing said outlet, a dome upon thestand pipe and adapted to receive water therefrom, said dome having apressure inlet and a pressure outlet, a valve mounted within the domeand normally closing communication between the interior of the dome andthe pressure inlet and outlet, said valve having a passage therethroughthrough which the pressure inlet and outlet normally communicate, andmeans for moving the valve to place the pressure outlet in communicationwith the interior of the dome, said valve being disposed to maintain thepressure inlet constantly out of communication with the interior of thedome.

G. A device of the character described comprising a standpipe having asuction outlet, a valve normally closing said outlet, a dome upon thestand pipe and adapted to receive water therefrom, said dome having apressure inlet and a pressure outlet, a valve mounted Within the domeand normally closing communication between the interior of the dome andthe pressure inlet and outlet, said valve having a passage therethroughthrough which the pressure inlet and outlet normally communicate, andmeans for moving the valve to place the pressure outlet in communicationwith the interior of the dome, and means movable with the valve formaintaining the pressure inlet out of communication withthe interior ofthe dome when the pressure outlet is in communication with the interiorof the dome. l

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto alhxedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

FRANKLIN G. MIDGETT.

Witnesses JOHN F. DooLnY, 'JOHN M. DoBBINs.

